Garden Railway Forum

Just an idea I am playing about with at the moment.

I am becoming a bit obsessed with smoke generators

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:13 pm Just an idea I am playing about with at the moment.

I like this pulsed effect much better than the solid stream of smoke in your previous video.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:13 pm I am becoming a bit obsessed with smoke generators

Mmmmm

Tom, I can't imagine fitting all that gear under the bonnet.
Mine is crammed full of batteries etc!

Where did you get the smoke generator from?

MRail wrote: ↑Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:13 am Tom, I can't imagine fitting all that gear under the bonnet.
Mine is crammed full of batteries etc!

This loco or the smoke generator doesn't need 12v so I may have to reduce the size of the battery.

The Deltang Rx has a built in ESC and being only 2mm thick allows for more space for fun stuff like smoke generators!

-steves- wrote: ↑Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:05 pm Where did you get the smoke generator from?

It's made by a company called Heng Long who build RC tanks.

philipy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:09 am I like this pulsed effect much better than the solid stream of smoke in your previous video.

The pulsed effect goes well with this sound card but it's very noisy when running fast and doesn't produce no where enough smoke as the TARR unit I have for Accucraft Baguley Drewery.

It's not proportional either like the TARR although it could be made to be with an additional circuit.

The video I posted of the TARR unit was running on full power just for fun. I will do a proper video of it once installed and you will see the difference particularly when on idle (I have a different sound card for the Drewery as it is a larger engine so the smoke effect needs to be different).

Acoustic version for the loco (first attempt). I think to achieve better smoke output I need a louder speaker which I have on order:

Fascinating stuff, Tom. I do like the pulsed smoker. Does it consume much power? Just wondeted how much drain it would be on the battery pack.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Feb 24, 2019 6:53 pm Fascinating stuff, Tom. I do like the pulsed smoker. Does it consume much power? Just wondeted how much drain it would be on the battery pack.

Rik

The Heng Long smoke unit in stock form has both the motor and heating element wired to the same input for power (this unit does not have a proportional circuit but one could be made). The pump motor is very loud when running fast so in my test I have the heating element running at a higher voltage (7v seems to produce a decent amount of smoke) and the motor pump running at around 3v with the idea that as power is applied to the motor the pump motor then increases in speed (voltage) to pump out more smoke (this requires a circuit for proportional control which I haven't made yet).

Given the restricted space in the loco the acoustic smoker is the option I am working on as it is smaller in size and no pump or fan is required.

If you search on YouTube for acoustic smokers the results some people have achieved are amazing.

Much improved second attempt, the more powerful speaker makes all the difference!

That's astonishing. While watching the video it's easy to believe there is an actual little diesel engine in that box.

I am working now to get it all to fit but the 12v battery needs to go...

It fits!



I need to get the new smaller battery sorted next...

Absolutely brilliant. Ever thought of going into production with them? Pretty sure there would be a market for them, not least of all with myself standing in the queue

-steves- wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:26 pm Absolutely brilliant. Ever thought of going into production with them? Pretty sure there would be a market for them, not least of all with myself standing in the queue

I imagine most people view smoke generators in diesels as unrealistic as a well running engine doesn't smoke so I doubt there would be much demand.

However, this is narrow gauge where money is tight (for my railway anyway) and one day when I repaint this loco it will represent a well used little diesel struggling to keep its place on the loco roster to avoid being scrapped.

For me, the smoke makes the loco come to life just like the water, steam and smell my live steamers produce.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:07 pm

-steves- wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:26 pm Absolutely brilliant. Ever thought of going into production with them? Pretty sure there would be a market for them, not least of all with myself standing in the queue

I imagine most people view smoke generators in diesels as unrealistic as a well running engine doesn't smoke so I doubt there would be much demand.

However, this is narrow gauge where money is tight (for my railway anyway) and one day when I repaint this loco it will represent a well used little diesel struggling to keep its place on the loco roster to avoid being scrapped.

For me, the smoke makes the loco come to life just like the water, steam and smell my live steamers produce.

I couldn't agree more. Some philosophers believe that no-one is born with a soul; one has to earn one through suffering. This is certainly true of diesels. While steam engines already have a visible "life force", diesels do not. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, they acquire one through perseverance. I think your smoke system is brilliant.

For your possible enjoyment, I include a picture of a diesel from my own country, which almost certainly has earned a soul, and definitely produces copious amounts of smoke: **

**I apologize for my blatant poaching of "Simpsons" themes and amateur industrial theology

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:07 pm

-steves- wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:26 pm Absolutely brilliant. Ever thought of going into production with them? Pretty sure there would be a market for them, not least of all with myself standing in the queue

I imagine most people view smoke generators in diesels as unrealistic as a well running engine doesn't smoke so I doubt there would be much demand.

I think some of RTR g scale diesels have smoke gens in them. Also quite a few ME scale i/c outline locos are appearing with added smoke.

I forgot about this video so I thought I would share it just to show that without a long thin scale exhaust pipe the smoke output looked far more realistic: